After nearly a whole year apart, we finally managed to arrange an Australian reunion at a time that suited us all! Strangely, five of my closest friends that I met in Canberra all went to The University of Dundee, so it made perfect sense for the rest of us to travel up to Scotland (seen as unfortunately, Australia is slightly too far for a weekend away)! My friend and I hopped on the long train journey from Manchester to Dundee as our friend Jonas boarded a flight from Germany! It just so happened that this weekend coincided with St. Patrick’s Day, which made celebrations all the more fun!
By Honor Cessford, The Australian National University
In the three-month summer break from university, my friends and I travelled down the east coast of Australia. In this blog, I will highlight my favourite memories from my favourite destinations!
By Nicole Dann, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
The time has finally come where you found out what university you are being shipped off to and things are suddenly starting to feel very real. If you – like I was – are feeling pretty overwhelmed and confused on how you feel, you’re not alone. I was one minute ecstatic that I was moving to Australia and the next minute sobbing because what even is Canberra? Well, I’m here to tell you that ANU is no doubt the best university experience you can get in Australia. It may not have the white sand beaches or crystal blue ocean waters, but it has the American style college system which will have you meeting the best people and partaking in so much. However, this does suddenly apply a bit of pressure on what college to choose. With only 1 option to select, this may seem a very daunting decision to make but allow me to help break down and summarise the different colleges to help aid your decision. Disclaimer: this is very much subjective and does indeed contain biases.
By Nicole Dann, Australia National University, Australia
I’ve officially met the halfway mark of my year abroad and have been feeling very reflective of my time so far. While I’ve loved my college lifestyle in Canberra, I’ve got to say some of my favourite moments have to be the times I’ve left the ACT. So with that said, I am going to go through and reflect on my various expeditions through the year, providing hope to future students that you are not only limited to your chosen university.
by Nicole Dann, Australian National University, Australia
It has been 2 months since I completed Inward Bound and I think it is finally time that I relive it. You’re probably wondering what the hell I am going on about, let me attempt to enlighten you. Inward Bound – otherwise abbreviated to IB – is an activity unique to ANU which is all about running, navigation and torture. Each college has the opportunity to submit 7 teams into 7 different divisions with the top team running up to 105km… this is the torture part. Even the lowest division ends up running 45km which is still more than a marathon. They weren’t kidding when they said Australians are a different breed of fitness. Not only is it an insane amount of distance, but it is also a skill of map reading and navigation. Picture Duke of Edinburgh but imagine being dropped off to your drop site blindfolded with absolutely no idea where you are. Then, based on the clues around you, like tree type and the one chance of a road name, you have to somehow pinpoint your exact location on a map which covers the entirety of the Lake District. Hard to say the least. Oh, and this is all in the middle of the night. It sounds absolutely awful right but somehow, I did it. Not only did I survive it but I’m also here to encourage anyone going to ANU to give it a shot.
If you are considering studying down under, here are several things I wish I had known before I moved to Australia:
Australia is Vast and Diverse: Covering over three million square miles, Australia’s size rivals that of the entire European continent. This significant size has implications for travel and transportation so is necessary to keep it in mind when planning trips & transportation.
Australia’s Varied Climate: Contrary to the assumption that Australia is always warm, there are distinct seasons. Winters can be quite cold, especially in places like Canberra where temperatures can drop significantly – when I landed in July it was -5 degrees! If you are after a warmer climate, Brisbane enjoys a tropical climate, while Melbourne is infamous for its “four seasons in one day.”
By Honor Cessford, Australian National University, Australia
Despite its reputation as a dull inland city, Canberra, the capital of Australia, offers an array of fun activities. Disregard the misconceptions and let me share some of my personal favourite things to do in Canberra!
By Honor Cessford, The Australian National Univeristy, Australia
I must admit, when I found out I was going to be living in Canberra for a year I was a little apprehensive due to its reputation. If you haven’t heard, Canberra is known to be a boring, lifeless city – however this is far from the truth! I am writing this as I finish my first semester at ANU, and I can say I love Canberra!
By Honor Cessford, Australian National University, Australia
After settling in well and completing my first semester at ANU, I had a two-week mid-semester break. The first week unfortunately consisted of completing assignments and revising for exams, however in the second week I went to Sydney with my friends, who are also on exchange from the UK.
Even though Covid-19 restricted me from flying to different places in Australia, I have been actively finding places in Canberra to make up for the travel losses. If you are a student coming to ANU in the future, you are lucky because you will have a plethora of stunning places in Australia to visit, and the following recommendations will help you catch some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Canberra.
Mount Painter Nature Reserve
Mount Painter Nature Reserve has a beautiful sweeping view of north Canberra with easy access paths. People love to walk dogs and enjoying nature there. I got my favourite pic here!
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
A big big nature reserve in Canberra with plenty of wildlife. Instead of paying for an expensive ticket to the zoo, you can visit the Koala attraction. Also, keep an eye for different types of kangaroos on your venture in this reserve. They have picnic spots and BBQ facilities. Remember to be extra time cautious as it will determine your ability to see most of the place before it turns dark. For your notice, private vehicle access only.
Lake Burley Griffin
This is the lake that is popular among every ANU student for its convenience in terms of going for a walk, jogging, and picnic spots. It is just 15mins walk from campus. It takes about 8hrs to walk around the lake, where you will pass by the Australian national parliament, the national gallery, and the national library. The Canberra Balloon Speculator and Canberra Fireworks night (both in March) are some of the major events that are set beside the lake. Definitely recommend visiting the lake before sunset. It is AMAZING.
Red Hill Nature Reserve
Another beautiful and accessible reserve in Canberra. Lots of eye-catching rocks along the tracks and an overarching view at the top. What makes this reserve distinctive is not just its view, but also it has an aesthetic fine dining restaurant which has got one of the most spectacular views and a team that brings a unique mix of culinary and beverage experience to offer quality food and wines from independent makers worldwide. This restaurant is called the Onred restaurant and I definitely recommend this for a special occasion.
Yarralumla suburb
Last but not the least, Yarralumla is a beautiful suburb with one of the best real estate in Canberra (Most of the rich people from Canberra own the estates there). It’s very pretty!!
Even though this semester was nothing similar to my earlier expectations, I am ultimate glad and grateful for this exchange experience. People’s lives suffer more or less under the global pandemic. However, I feel that coming to Australia and spending 6 months here was the best experience I could’ve gotten under COVID.
Course selection
I was lucky to discover a course called “CBEA3001: Special Industry Project (SIP)”. This course provides students with the opportunity to work in a small cross-disciplinary team setting and solve a business problem presented by a local business client. Our client is an aboriginal corporation in Australia and we are matched with mentors from Pwc. By doing this course, I not only learned essential skills in consulting and gained the experience of working with diverse people and interacting with real client, but the project also gives me a chance to explore the aboriginal culture behind modern Australia. At the very beginning of the course when COVID hasn’t spread globally, the whole class went on an overnight trip to meet clients and get first-hand information of the project. We would have gone to meet clients again for the final presentation if the semester went normally. I would say that this course is definitely special and the hard skills and soft skills that I gained would be very helpful for career development.
(field trip to Eden)
Another course that I wished that I knew before is call “FINM3009 Student Managed Fund (SMF)”. This course provides students the opportunity to take responsibility for over $0.6 million worth of investments. They have 4 different roles under the course that you can apply based on the prerequisite courses you have taken.
Although SMF is very limited to student with finance background, SIP is open to every disciplines.
2. Accommodation
I am lucky to live at Wright hall, which is the newest and one of the best equipped flexible-catered accommodation on campus. Wright hall has a good proportion of domestic and international students. People at wright organised plenty of activities throughout the year. It has 7 floors and more than 500 residents living in the hall. I hardly feel lonely and don’t have to make much efforts to maintain the new established friendships because I can see those people every day!
For those of you who find it expensive living on campus while coming to exchange in Australia, I would say that living cost is generally higher here compared to Manchester. You would find food is a lot expensive as well. Therefore, the catered accommodation is not as expensive as it looks. If you want to be self-catered, B&G might be a good option as it is cheap and renowned for its good social experience.
(Wright hall commencement dinner)
3. Society
Another highlight during the exchange is the sponsored Sydney finance trip that I went with ANU finance society. We visited 11 companies in 2 days and stay overnight in the CBD center. I found the event on Facebook, paid a small amount of community fee, and sent my CV to give a try. I wrote down this experience just to encourage the future exchange students to actively search for activities during exchange and be brave to take part in any opportunities. You exchange time is precious and limited, so make the most of it!
(Finance trip to Sydney!)
4. People
Finally, the softest part in this reflection belongs to the people that I met at ANU. Looking back one year ago, I got my exchange result and found that I didn’t get into Sydney and Melbourne. I was upset and hesitated to accept the offer. I talked to people and ultimately decided to go exchange even though the result was not ideal. Half year ago when I was stuck in China due to the Australia travel restriction, I didn’t give up and went to a third country to self-quarantine. Now all the coincidence and efforts make sense: Australian Capital Territory remains one of the safest places in Australia during the pandemic and I met lifelong friends at ANU. I have made memories with people and they will be the very few people to stay close in my life. I also know that I can take someone with me in this lifetime journey.
Even though Covid-19 restricted me from flying to different places in Australia, I have been actively finding places in Canberra to make up for the travel losses. If you are a student coming to ANU in the future, you are lucky because you will have a plethora of stunning places in Australia to visit, and the following recommendations will help you catch some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Canberra.
Mount Painter Nature Reserve
Mount Painter Nature Reserve has a beautiful sweeping view of north Canberra with easy access paths. People love to walk dogs and enjoying nature there. I got my favourite pic here!
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
A big big nature reserve in Canberra with plenty of wildlife. Instead of paying for an expensive ticket to the zoo, you can visit the Koala attraction. Also, keep an eye for different types of kangaroos on your venture in this reserve. They have picnic spots and BBQ facilities. Remember to be extra time cautious as it will determine your ability to see most of the place before it turns dark. For your notice, private vehicle access only.
Lake Burley Griffin
This is the lake that is popular among every ANU student for its convenience in terms of going for a walk, jogging, and picnic spots. It is just 15mins walk from campus. It takes about 8hrs to walk around the lake, where you will pass by the Australian national parliament, the national gallery, and the national library. The Canberra Balloon Speculator and Canberra Fireworks night (both in March) are some of the major events that are set beside the lake. Definitely recommend visiting the lake before sunset. It is AMAZING.
Red Hill Nature Reserve
Another beautiful and accessible reserve in Canberra. Lots of eye-catching rocks along the tracks and an overarching view at the top. What makes this reserve distinctive is not just its view, but also it has an aesthetic fine dining restaurant which has got one of the most spectacular views and a team that brings a unique mix of culinary and beverage experience to offer quality food and wines from independent makers worldwide. This restaurant is called the Onred restaurant and I definitely recommend this for a special occasion.
Yarralumla suburb
Last but not the least, Yarralumla is a beautiful suburb with one of the best real estate in Canberra (Most of the rich people from Canberra own the estates there). It’s very pretty!!
